Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 129: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if her attention has been drawn to the difficulties which have arisen as a result of budgetary cutbacks to FÁS in respect of training and supports for the unemployed when training grants are no longer available to persons who wish do a course unless they are in receipt of a social welfare allowance; her plans to address this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11505/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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This year in order to address the issue of unemployment in this country, my Department will invest more than €1 billion in the provision of a range of labour force measures. The total number of training and work experience activation places funded by my Department will be approximately 147,000. This compares to the 66,000 places that were delivered in 2008 and the 130,000 places delivered last year. In order to finance this increase in training places at a time when public funds are scarce, the government has had to implement a number of changes including restricting the payment of a FÁS training allowance to those persons who are in receipt of a social welfare allowance.